Apparatus and method for locking a mobile communication unit

摘要

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for locking the mobile identification number (MIN) of a mobile communication unit (22,24) at the mobile switching center (MSC) (18). Once a MIN is locked at the MSC, the cellular communication system (10) will block any mobile communication unit (22,24) attempting to originate a call with the locked MIN, even if it is the mobile communication unit (22) assigned the locked MIN which is attempting to place the call. The user may lock and unlock the mobile communication unit MIN from any public switch telephone (26), from selected public switch telephones, from the mobile communication unit (22) itself, from other mobile communication units (24). The mobile communication unit MIN may also be locked by default.